Apparatus for lifting or transferring metal or objects with flat surfaces



Feb. 15, 1944. H. A. JOHNSON 2,341,621

APPARATUS FOR LIFTING' QR TRANSFEHHING METAL 7 0R OBJECTS WITH FLAT SURFACES Filed Dec. :5, 1942 v INVENTOR l lerbert' Arthur J hnsbn ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1944 APPARATUS FOR LIFTING R TRANSFER- 1 RING METAL 0R OBJECTS WITH FLAT SURFACES Herbert Arthur Johnson, London, England Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,690 In Great Britain August 26, 1942 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for lifting or for otherwise transferring sheet metal or articles having fiat surfaces.

It is frequently necessary when working on sheets of metal to transfer them from one pile to another singly or to lift them one at a time from a pile to be operated on. Lifting a metal sheet off the pile of such sheets is often an awkward operation and unless gloves are worn results frequently in out hands. Even when gloves are worn injury is frequently not avoided and the gloves become worn out in a very short time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for lifting sheets of metal and other objects without the necessity of direct contact with the hands.

According to the present invention a device for lifting or otherwise transferring sheets of metal or other material or articles with fiat surfaces comprises a rigid cup member, a rubber or like pad member supported across the mouth of the cup member, means for drawing the centre portion of the pad member into the cup member to form a vacuum cup between it and any smooth surface upon which it rests, and means for releasing said pad member to break the vacuum cup.

Conveniently, the cup member has a. circular mouth and the pad member is in the form of a thick rubber disc the centre of which is connected through the base of the cup member to a lever which operating against Spring pressure draws the centre of the rubber disc into the cup member.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a device for lifting sheets of metal constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an underneath plan of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 42 shows in longitudinal section the device in operation.

The sheet-lifting device shown in the drawing is suitable for manipulating sheets of metal and consists of a dished metal cup I, measuring some 4 or 5 inches across its mouth. The mouth is provided with a peripheral flange 2 which supports the periphery of a thick, soft vulcanized rubber disc 3, the outer face of the periphery of which stands proud of the cup mouth.

The inner side of the rubber disc hasflxedly secured at its centre a squared spindle 4, which passed through a squared aperture 5 in the centre of the base of the cup I. A helical spring 6 surrounds the spindle 4 bearing against the bottom of the cup I and urges the rubber disc from the cup.

The outside of the base of the cup supports a handle 1 which is riveted thereto, for manipulating the device. The handle 1 in this instance consists of a folded strip of metal and supports at its lower end across the fold a pivot pin 8 on which rocks a lever 9 secured at its lower end to the protruding end of the spindle 4 by means of a suitable nut l9, and washer II.

The lever 9 is suitably angled with respect to the handle I to make a convenient hand grip when the device is in the released position as shown in Figure 3.

The handle 1 is extended beyond the base of the cup and is turned down to form a hook member I2 to facilitate the disengagement of the device from the sheet or other object if a residual vacuum pocket remains after the lever 9 is released.

In operation the device is placed on the metal sheet l3 to be lifted with the rubber pad resting evenly on the surface. The lever 9 is then depressed by gripping the handle 1 and the lever 9 and closing the lever onto the handle. This lifts the centre of the rubber disc 3 into the cup I against the spring pressure of the spring 6 as shown in Figure 4, and a vacuum cup is formed between the disc 3 and the metal sheet 13 which is sufficiently powerful to enable the sheet safely to be lifted or otherwise transferred to the desired position.

To release the device the lever 9 is allowed to return to its initial position by reason of the spring 6 which spring also returns the rubber disc 3 to its original substantially flat configuration to remove the vacuum cup. In some cases for example, where wet sheets are being handled, a residuum vacuum is left and the device is not released. In this case, it is leverecl over the hook portion l2 and it is found that the rubber disc is readily lifted off the surface.

It will be appreciated of course that the lever 9 can be replaced by any other suitable mechanism for drawing the rubber pad 3 into the cup member I [and instead of retaining the rubber pad 3 within the cup member I by the pressure of the hand other equivalent and suitable locking mechanism may be employed.

What I claim is:

1. A device for lifting and otherwise handling sheets of metal and the like with flat surfaces, comprising a rigid cup member having a mouth opening at its bottom and a header Wall thereabove, a handle rigidly attached to said cup member and projecting laterally therefrom, a circular pad member in the form of an impervious flexible disc supported in the circular mouth of the cup member, a spindle secured to the center of the pad member and projecting through the header Wall of the cup member; a lever pivotally engaging the said spindle above said handle and fulcrumed with respect to said handle and providing a long leverage arm adapted to be closed toward said handle to draw the pad member into the cup member, and a helical compression spring surrounding said spindle and bearing at one end on the header wall and at the other end applying pressure to said pad member.

2. A device for lifting and otherwise handling sheets of metal'and the like as claimed in claim 1, which includes an angle member projecting from the said cup member in a direction diametrically opposite to the handle, said angle member having a downwardly directed end which terminates above the level of the open mouth of the cup member.

3. A device for lifting and otherwise handling sheets of metal and the like as claimed in claim 1, wherein said long leverage arm diverges from the handle in normal position and swings contiguous to said handle while cupping the pad member, whereby the handle and lever arm may be gripped simultaneously with the device in lifting engagement with a sheet of metal or the like.-

HERBERT ARTHUR JOHNSON. 

